Time flies when you're having fun...

~A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.~

Today, John and I celebrate being married for 16 years!  Really? Has it been that long? : )  Time flies when you're having fun, right?!?!  I'm not going to say everything is perfect in our relationship...we've had ups and downs just like everyone else.  The family we've created has gone thru alot!  But we try to always stay TOGETHER...on the same page.  It's an effort, it takes work..and love, patience...give and take.  I'm not always good at that...but in the end I always TRY.  We made a commitment (to each other) and truly are best friends.   I love him more each day and we look forward to growing old together : )

Slow Down

I received this in an email last week and liked it...thought I'd repost it here.  I know everyone is busy these days.  It seems we never have enough time in any given day.  Take the time to read this...it's good.  It puts things in perspective.  I like to believe I live each day appreciating all the blessings I have, but unfortunately I know I take too much for granted.  For me, sometimes it take these kind of simple reminders...


To realize the value of a sister/brother,
Ask someone who doesn't have one.


To realize the value of ten years,
Ask a newly divorced couple.


To realize the value of four years,
Ask a graduate.


To realize the value of one year,
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.


To realize the value of nine months,
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.


To realize the value of one month,
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.


To realize the value of one week,
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.


To realize the value of one minute,
Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane..


To realize the value of one-second,
Ask a person who has survived an accident.


Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.


You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.


To realize the value of a friend or family member:
Lose one.


REMEMBER....
Hold on tight to the ones you love!

Inspired to Return! : )

I'm back! Going to give blogging another shot! I haven't blogged since Dominic got sick...and you know I'm not much of a writer. But it's kind of therapeutic, even if I'm not skilled. All of my new friends on Facebook have inspired me! My last blog was about our weekend trip to Orlando in February 2009....so it's seems logical to begin again about a weekend trip to Orlando.

We are going to walk in the "Let's Move Together" Arthritis Walk. We formed a family team, TEAM LONGO, and are trying to do our part to raise awareness about arthritis (in particular that Kids Get Arthritis Too!) and raise money to fund research that will hopefully find a cure! Dominic has been living with Systemic JRA for a year now and is very excited about getting involved and fighting to make a difference. If YOU feel like making a difference too, go to Dominic's website and make a donation.

So, I still want my blog to be about our family....just a glimpse into our daily lives. Our normal has changed quite a bit in the last year...and we're doing the best we can. I'm sure there will be alot about JRA...but really I just want to share our family's experiences. Finding Arthur Itis and the Mom Squad on Facebook has been a wonderful thing! They have welcomed Dominic and I into their family and we look forward to meeting everyone in Orlando!

The streets of Orlando

After a great afternoon spent inside Wonderworks, we imerged outside to a beautiful evening in Orlando. The lights were coming on, the weather was perfect, lots of cars in the streets, lots of people on the sidewalks. We encounter an interesting fellow...dressed in every color of the rainbow and with way too many piercings! He had his bicycle and his birds....beautiful birds. Sam was scared of him at first, but after she got to hold a bird, she was a little more comfortable. Orlando is great and you never know what you're going to see when you're there!

New glasses for the New Year

Recently, one of Gianna's teachers mentioned that she was having trouble seeing the board in her class. At first, she thought it might have been the angle at which she was looking at it. Gianna's desk wasn't far from the board, however, it was way off to the side by the windows. So we thought maybe the angle and glare was the problem. Gianna moved to another seat and we didn't hear anything for a few weeks. The teacher and I assumed her vision was ok. Then Gianna started to complain again about not being able to see it very well. John and I noticed her struggling at home to see certain things in the distance. So...we made the appointment for an eye exam. I felt so bad when we were there. I got to observe the exam and saw exactly what she could NOT see. I was surprised to say the least...and I felt a little guilty for not bringing her in earlier. I've never had problems with my vision, and just never thought of my kids not being able to see as well as me. Naive...I know.

After the exam, we got to pick out glasses. It was very easy...the second pair Gianna tried on...were "THE ONES". She loved them and I thought they looked great on her! It went much easier than I thought it would. She doesn't seem to mind having glasses at all. Since she is near-sighted and only needs to wear them occasionally (like in class or watching tv/movies), I'm concerned how long they are going to last. Taking them on and off will mean she will have to be careful not to lose them or break them. A test of her responsibility! I think she'll do fine and I love her new look!

The Longo Family wishes all our family and friends a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year! We hope that 2009 brings everything you hope for.

May you find Peace, Happiness and Joy!

Good times thru the years...